This is critical IMO - RAH & I were just discussing cycles like this about a friend that I have long suspected of NPD or something similar. Part of what I think allows him to "fool" others into believing he has made changes is his ability to hold it together for long periods of time - which become long, harder to see patterns/cycles. The tell (to me) is that HE never actually changes, he just shifts focus to another form of escapism, calls it therapeutic, declares a breakthrough & buys himself time under the guise of having "made changes".